Tuesday, June 30, 2009

1908] No - No - No: Cy Young pitches his 3rd no-hitter and at 41 becomes the oldest pitcher to do so. The Red Sox blank the Yankees 8-0…1962] The Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax no hits the Mets 5-0 in Los Angeles. The future Hall of Famer will pitch 4 no-hitters including a perfect game before he’s through…

1936] Debuted on this date: "Gone With The Wind", written by Margaret Mitchell is published…

1952] Lighting the way: "The Guiding Light" moves from radio to TV. It’s still on…

1953] America’s ‘Dream Car': The first Corvette rolls off the Chevrolet assembly line in Flint, Michigan. The 3rd ‘Vette‘ to roll off the line was sold in 2006 for a cool million…

1971] Old enough: The 26th Amendment to the Constitution lowers the minimum voting age to 18…

1975] Wedding Bells: Cher and Greg Allman rock down the aisle 4 days after she and Sonny are divorced. Cher and Greg will be divorced two years later…

1982] The Devil you say: New Jersey fans pick the name 'Devils' (by ballot) for their new NHL franchise. Runner-up names: Meadowlanders and Americans. The Devils it is…

1994] Tonya un-plugged: The U.S. Figure Skating Association strips Tonya Harding of the national championship and bans her from the organization for life for an attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan...

1997] Hong Gone: The Union Jack is lowered for the last time over Hong Kong's Government House as Britain prepares to hand the colony back to China July 1st after 156 years of British rule…

Friday, June 26, 2009

1916] Numbers: In a game against the White Sox, the Cleveland Indians appear on the field with numbers on their sleeves. It marked the 1st time players were identified by numbers corresponding to the scorecard (6/26)…

1919] Debuted on this date: The New York Daily News publishes for the first time and it’s still here (6/26)…1981] “For Your Eyes Only” premieres starring Roger Moore as James Bond. Sheena Easton has a hit with the theme (6/26)…1987] “Dragnet” premieres starring Dan Aykroyd as Sgt. Joe Friday. Christopher Plummer, Dabney Coleman, Henry Morgan and Tom Hanks also star (6/26)…

1959] And the winner and new champ: Ingemar Johansson of Sweden knocks down heavyweight champ Floyd Patterson 7 times in the 3rd round to win the title on a TKO. One year later, Patterson becomes the 1st heavyweight to regain the title when he beats Johansson (6/26)…

1959] Curtains: The legendary Edward R. Murrow interviews Lee Remick on “Person to Person“. It’s his 500th and final guest on the CBS-TV show (6/26)…1977] Elvis Presley plays his final concert at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis (6/26). 51-days later, Elvis would be dead…

1962] Oh-no: Earl Wilson of the Red Sox pitches a 2-0 no-hitter against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park. Wilson helps his own cause by hitting a home run in the game (6/26)…

1963] JFK goes to the Wall: The President visits the Berlin Wall and gives his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech (6/26)…

1974] “D-I-V-O-R-C-E": Richard Burton becomes divorce victim #5 for Elizabeth Taylor. He was also victim #4 after their 1st marriage (6/26)…1975] Cher divorces Sonny Bono after the pair had been together since meeting in 1962 (6/26)…

1975] 'Happy Trails': Rod Serling dies after open-heart surgery at 50 (6/28). I met Serling at LAX in the early 70s and he told me about selling his rights to "The Twilight Zone" for $1 million. He was taping "Night Gallery" and we got into a conversation about radio, his training grounds. Several months later there was a NG episode about a disc jockey (Mickey Rooney) who sells his soul to the devil. I always wondered if our talk may have inspired Serling to write that episode...2001] Legendary actor Jack Lemmon dies from cancer at 76 (6/27)...2002] The Who's John Entwistle dies from a cocaine-induced heart attack at 57 (6/27)...

1988] A time for joy, a time for tears: Proving it's never too late to get your diploma, Cyndi Lauper (Richmond Hills High) and Debbie Gibson (Merrick High) receive their high school diplomas (6/27)...

1997] A bite to the finish: Mike Tyson takes a bite out of Evander Holyfield's ear and is disqualified during their heavyweight championship rematch (6/28)...For more on June 26 - 28:

Thursday, June 25, 2009

and the U.S. 7th Cavalry are wiped out by Sioux and Cheyenne Indians at Little Big Horn (MT). And yes, this was known as “Custer’s Last Stand"…

1950] War…what is it good for? Absolutely nothing: War breaks out on the Korean peninsula as forces from the communist North invade the South…

1968] Talkin’ Baseball: Bobby Bonds (father of Barry) becomes the first major leaguer to debut with a grand-slam home run…

1970] Beep It!: The FCC makes it illegal for radio stations to put telephone callers on the air without the permission of the person being called. A beep was then installed on the phone for that purpose…

1973] Ratted out: White House Counsel John Deanadmits that President Nixon took part in the Watergate cover-up…

1985] Two and a half men: ABC-TV’s "Monday Night Football" announces a new line-up in the booth: Frank Gifford, Joe Namath and O.J. Simpson. The worst play-by-pay team ever…

1993] TV curtains: The last original “Late Night With David Letterman” airs on NBC-TV with guest Tom Hanks. Re-runs will follow until September. On August 30th, Letterman takes his show to CBS-TV where it still resides…

1996] Death in the desert: A truck bomb kills 19 Americans and injures hundreds at a U.S. military housing complex in Saudi Arabia…

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

named after the Isle of Jersey, is founded. Get ready for the stench as soon as you approach Secaucus…

1922] And they called it…the NFL: The American Professional Football Association has the good sense to change its name to the National Football League. Interesting footnote: Curly Lambeau paid $250 for the Green Bay Packers, founded by his employer, the Indian Packing Company. Today the entire community of Green Bay owns the team…

1948] That wall won’t be for handball: Communists forces cut off all land and water routes between West and East Berlin. The U.S. organizes a massive airlift known as "The Berlin Airlift"…

1949] Hoppy’s happy: "Hopalong Cassidy" becomes the 1st network (NBC) western on TV. The series will run 2 seasons…

1953] With this ring: John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier announce their engagement…

1992] Gotcha: “Crazy Eddie” Antar is captured and arrested in Israel on U.S. fraud charges. Remember the commercial done by Jerry Carroll?…1993] An Arab terror group planning the bombing of the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels gets caught - all are arrested…For more on June 24th:

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

receives a patent for an invention he calls the ‘type-writer’. Sholes will sell the rights to his typewriter to the Remington Arms Company in 1872 for $12,000…

1955] Debuted on this date: Walt Disney’s "Lady and the Tramp"...1982] Mary Hart and her legs debut on “Entertainment Tonight"...1989] "Batman" starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson (The Joker) premieres…

1957] Curtains: “The Roy Rogers Show” bows out on Sundays (NBC-TV) after 6 seasons but Roy and Dale will do a Saturday musical variety show on ABC-TV in the fall of ‘62...1960] "The Pat Boone Show", a weekly musical variety show airs for the last time on ABC-TV after 3 seasons. I used to watch this live show when I worked late in the ABC mailroom…

1963] Talkin’ Baseball: To celebrate hitting his 100th home run, wacky Mets outfielder Jimmy Piersall runs the bases backwards…1981] The Pawtucket Red Sox-Rochester minor league game picks up in the 33rd inning. This time it only takes 18 minutes to finish the game as Pawtucket scores a run in the bottom of the 33rd. Wade Boggs played for Pawtucket and Cal Ripken Jr. for Rochester…

1969] This I swear: Warren E. Burger is sworn in as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court…

1972] Title IX: Richard Nixon signs an act barring sex discrimination in college sports. On the surface it sounds like a good idea but it's not. Title IX allocates funds for female teams indiscriminately and is a lousy rule…

1992] Guilty as charged: John Gotti, convicted on racketeering charges is sentenced to life in prison where he will die of throat cancer…1993] Lorena Bobbitt of Prince William County (VA) mutilates her husband John by severing a particularly sensitive male organ after he allegedly rapes her…

1995] ‘Happy Trails’: Dr. Jonas Salk who developed the first vaccine against Polio, dies of unknown causes at 80…2006] Aaron Spellingpasses away at 83 from complications of a recent stroke…

1997] Friendly fire: Civil Rights activist Betty Shabazz, 61, widow of Malcolm X, dies from burns she suffered in an earlier fire set by her 12-year old grandson…

2003] Meltdown countdown begins: Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean announces his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination which turns into a Barnum and Bailey Circus ending...For more on June 23rd:

Monday, June 22, 2009

1915] The straphanger is born: The BMT begins subway service from Brooklyn to Manhattan…

1937] Bombs away: Joe Louismakes the clock strike 12 for “Cinderella Man", James J. Braddock by taking the heavyweight title from him with a KO in the 8th round…1938] Same date, one year later, Louis defends his title with a 1st round KO of Germany’s Max Schmeling…

1945] Bloody battle: The WWII battle for Okinawa ends with 12,520 Americans and 110,000 Japanese killed in the 83-day campaign...

1969] ‘Happy Trails’: Judy Garlanddies from an overdose of sleeping pills at 47…1987] Fred Astaire dies from pneumonia at 88...1993] Former first lady Pat Nixonis a victim of lung cancer at 81...2002] St. Louis pitcher Darryl Kileis found dead of heart disease at 33…2002] Advice columnist Ann Landerspasses away from multiple myeloma at 83…2008] George Carlin dies of heart failure at 71...

1970] Too young to drink but old enough to fight and vote: President Richard Nixon signs a measure lowering the voting age to 18…

1977] Serving the time: Former Attorney General John N. Mitchell begins serving a sentence for his role in the Watergate cover-up...

1981] Guilty as charged: Mark David Chapmanpleads guilty to killing John Lennon…

1987] The end of 'The Franchise': After spending over two weeks training for a comeback with the Mets, Tom Seaver retires, finishing his Hall of Fame career with 311 victories -- 198 wearing a Met uniform...

1992] What were the Supes thinking?: The Supreme Court unanimously rules that hate-crime laws that ban cross-burning and similar expressions of racial bias violate free-speech rights...For more on June 22nd:

Friday, June 19, 2009

1910] Dad's day: Father's Day is celebrated for the first time in Spokane (WA) (6/19)...

1934] Beware the FCC: Congress establishes the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The original duties of the FCC were to: "regulate interstate and foreign communications in the public interest." Regulating the airwaves came later (6/19)…

1948] Debuted on this date: "The Toast Of The Town", soon to be known as "The Ed Sullivan Show" debuts on CBS-TV (6/20)...1975] "Jaws" premieres and becomes the big summer blockbuster (6/20). Most of the exteriors are shot on Martha's Vineyard where the water was still cold...1985] The summer sleeper is "Cocoon" starring husband and wife team, Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy and let's not forget Don Ameche (6/21)...

1952] Talkin’ baseball: Dodger pitcher Carl Erskine pitches a 5-0 no-hitter against the Cubs at Ebbets Field (6/19)…1977] Carl Yastrzemskihits a 460-foot home run at Fenway Park that strikes the facade to the right of the retired numbers and is the only home run to reach Fenway’s right field roof facade (6/19)…1979] The reign of 'Billy Martin II' begins in a cycle of 5 trips back as Yankee manager (6/19)…

1953] On the hot seat: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed by electric chair at Sing Sing on charges of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to Russia, although their sons have been fighting to free their names for years (6/19)…

1963] Hotline 5-5300: The U.S. and Soviet Union sign an agreement to set up a hotline between the two superpowers (6/20)...

1964] Oh no: Future Hall of Fame pitcher and U.S. Senator from Kentucky, Jim Bunning, pitches a perfect game against the Mets at Shea Stadium on Father's Day (6/21). His catcher Gus Triandos becomes the first catcher to catch no-hitters in both leagues, having done it previously in the 50s when he caught Hoyt Wilhelm's no-hitter...

2001] 'Happy Trails': Carroll O'Connor dies from a heart attack brought about by diabetes at 76 (6/21)...2001] Legendary blues singer John Lee Hooker, believed to be 83, dies from natural causes at his home in Los Altos (CA) (6/21)...For more on June 19 -21:

1960] Open and closed: Arnold Palmer comes from 7 strokes down to win the U.S. Open…2000] Tiger Woodswins the U.S. Open by 15 strokes…

1961] Curtains: "Gunsmoke" airs for the last time on CBS Radio but the show had already moved to TV in 1955…

1977] Battling Billy: Billy Martin accuses Reggie Jackson of loafing in rightfield during a game against the Red Sox at Fenway. Martin pulls him out of the game and then the fun begins. Players and coaches have to separate the two as they fight in the Yankee dugout on live TV. Just another day at the office for the Yankees…

1979] Pass the salt: President Jimmy Carter and Soviet President Leonid I. Brezhnev sign the SALT II strategic arms limitation treaty in Vienna. They celebrate by downing Vienna sausage and cookies and wash it down with Stoly…

1983] Ride Sally Ride: Astronaut Sally K. Ridebecomes our first woman in space as she and 4 other colleagues blast off aboard the space shuttle Challenger. This is the same Challenger that will explode later in January, 1986. Sally was not aboard that time and is now retired from the space program…

1984] Talk can be deadly: Denver Talk Radio host Alan Berg is shot to death outside his home. Two white supremacists are convicted of civil rights violations in the slaying…

1996] Guilty as charged: Richard Allen Davis is convicted in San Jose (CA) of the 1993 kidnap-murder of 12-year old Polly Klaas…

2004] Must-not see TV: An al-Qaida cell in Saudi Arabia beheads American engineer Paul M. Johnson Jr., posting grisly photos of his severed head on the Internet. Saudi security forces track down and kill the alleged mastermind of the kidnapping and murder…For more on June 18th:

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

1885] Who’s that lady?: The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor aboard the French ship Isere…

1941] First TV CP: WNBT-TV (now WNBC), channel 4, New York City is granted the first construction permit to operate a commercial TV station in the country. The station signs on July 1, 1941…

1950] I left my heart in San Francisco and my liver in Kansas City: 44-year old Ruth Tucker receives the first kidney transplant in a 45-minute operation in a suburban Chicago hospital. Unfortunately Ms. Tucker was supposed to get a new liver (kidding)...

1960] Teddy launches #500: Ted Williams hits a two-run shot to help the Red Sox beat the Indians 3-1. That home run gives Williams 500 as the “Splendid Splinter” becomes only the 4th player with 500 home runs…

1961] Dancing defector: Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defects to the West while his troupe performs in Paris...

1972] The floodgates open up at Watergate: President Richard Nixon’s downfall begins with the arrest of 5 burglars inside Democratic national headquarters in Washington, D.C.’s Watergate complex…

1994] This is A.C., I got O.J. in the car: After leading the LAPD on a crawl-like chase through Southern California, O.J. Simpson is arrested and charged with the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman…

2005] Guilty as charged: Dennis Kozlowski, former Tyco CEO is convicted of misappropriating Tyco’s corporate funds, among other charges. Kozlowski is serving 8 to 25 years in upstate New York…

2008] Celtic Pride: The Boston Celtics win their 17th NBA championship by beating the Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games. The Lakers just beat Orlando for this year's title...For more on July 17th:

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

1883] Ladies Day: The New York Giants admit all ladies to the game free, creating the first “Ladies Day” in baseball…

1893] Buy me some peanuts and: Fritz Rueckheim invents Cracker Jack…

1932] Debuted on this date: The Ford Motor Company is incorporated…1947] The first network newscast, “News From Washington” is broadcast on the Dumont Television Network…1952] "Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl" is published in the U.S…1960] Alfred Hitchcock’s "Psycho" premieres in New York City…

1978] Talkin’ Baseball: Tom Seaver, now a member of the Cincinnati Reds, no-hits the Cardinals 4-0. Sure, now he does it…1981] The Chicago Tribunebuys the Chicago Cubs from the P.K. Wrigley Chewing Gum Co. for $20.5 million. Wrigley throws in a lifetime supply of gum for every employee of the Chicago Tribune but doesn’t guarantee to double the pleasure of Cub fans. The sale of the Cubs by the Tribune is now pending…

1987] Take that: A jury in New York acquits Bernhard Goetz of attempted murder in the subway shooting of 4 youths who he said were about to rob him. He is convicted of illegal possession of a weapon. Goetz ran for public office in Manhattan a few years ago but lost…

1992] Guilty as charged: Former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger is indicted on felony charges in the Iran-Contra affair. He will later be pardoned by President George H.W. Bush (41)…

1996] ‘Happy Trails’: The legendary “Voice of the Yankees“, Mel Allen, dies at 83. Mel had open heart surgery several years earlier and had been in poor health…

1996] Vote for me or else: Russian voters go to the polls in their first independent presidential election. The result is a runoff between PresidentBoris Yeltsin, the eventual winner, and a Communist challenger...

2000] Wedding Bells: Federal regulators approve the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE Corp., creating the nation’s largest local phone company: Verizon on June 30…

2004] Rebuffing the Prez: The independent commission investigating the 911 attacks says no evidence existed that al-Qaida had strong ties to Saddam Hussein…For more on June 16th:

Monday, June 15, 2009

1904] East River tragedy: More than 1,000 die when fire erupts aboard the steamboat General Slocum

in New York City’s East River. From my window I can see the actual location of the tragedy...

1923] The Ironman era has begun: Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig makes his major league debut with the Yankees...

1948] Debuted on this date: WPIX-TV (11) begins broadcasting in New York City…1969] "Hee Haw" debuts on CBS-TV, hosted by Buck Owens and Roy Clark…1973] "American Graffiti (Where were you in '62?)" premieres in New York City…

1938] Talkin’ Baseball: Reds pitcher Johnny Vander Meer spoils Ebbets Field’s first night game by pitching his second consecutive no-hitter. It's safe to say that this record will never be broken because a pitcher would have to pitch 3 consecutive no-hitters to break it…1977] The Mets do the unthinkable, trading Tom Seaver to Cincinnati for Pat Zachry, Steve Henderson, Doug Flynn and Dan Norman. The Mets will eventually reacquire Seaver in 1983…

1992] Are you smarter than a fifth-grader?: Vice President Dan Quayle puts on a dunce cap and sits in the corner after spelling potato with an "e". The Trenton (NJ) elementary school than spells Quayle's name: "d-u-m-m-y"...

1995] If the glove don't fit, you must acquit: That was the quote from attorney Johnnie Cochran in the O.J. Simpson double-murder trial after O.J. struggles to put on the murder gloves. Case over, O.J. walks...

1996] ‘Happy Trails’: The legendary Ella Fitzgerald dies from circulation problems, having lost both legs in 1994. Ella was 79…

2005] Autopsy results: The autopsy on Terri Schiavo is released, backing the contention of her husband, Michael, that she was in a persistent vegetative state when they pulled the plug...

2006] Gates bows out: Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates says he will transition from day-to-day reponsibilities at the company to concentrate on the charitable work of the Bill and Melida Gates Foundation. Since then, he and his wife have given out millions to help people worldwide...For more on June 15th:

Friday, June 12, 2009

1777] Flag Day: The Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopts the Stars and Stripes as our national flag (6/14). The city of brotherly love observes the first Flag Day in 1893. On Sunday we celebrate the 116th Flag Day...

1912] 300-wins club: Christy Mathewson pitches a no-hitter in winning his 300th game (6/13)...2003] Roger Clemens joins the 300-wins club and becomes the third pitcher to reach 4,000 strikeouts (6/13)...

1923] Free at last: Harry Houdinifrees himself from a straight jacket while suspended upside down, 40 feet above the street in New York City (6/12)...

1935] Cinderella man: James J. Braddock, a 29-year old New Jersey longshoreman wins the world heavyweight championship in a 15-round decision over Max Baer (6/13). Braddock wears the crown for 2 years before losing it to Joe Louis...

1939] Going to hall: The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is officially opened in Cooperstown, N.Y. Most of the original members, chosen in 1936 (Ruth, Cobb, Wagner, Mathewson and Johnson) are in attendance (6/12). Jim Rice and Rickey Henderson go in next month...

1978] Guilty as charged: David Berkowitz aka 'Son of Sam' is sentenced to 6 life sentences, one for each of the 6 murders he committed during his rampage (6/12)...

1994] Slashed to death: Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman are slashed to death outside her Los Angeles home. Former husband, football Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson is later acquitted of the killings in a criminal trial but held liable in a civil action (6/12)...For more on June 12 - 14:

Thursday, June 11, 2009

1953] Gone too soon: “Amos and Andy” ends its 2-year run on television, 24 years on radio, because of racial sensitivity. In my opinion this was one of the greatest comedy series of all-time...

1963] Alabama justice: Alabama Governor George Wallace tries to prevent black students from registering at the University of Alabama. He will lose the battle, rightfully so…

1977] Triple Crown Champ: Seattle Slew wins the third leg of the Triple Crown by taking the Belmont Stakes. Fifty-eight years earlier -- to the date in 1919, Sir Barton became the first Triple Crown winner...

1979] ‘Happy Trails’: Legendary tough-guy actor John Wayne dies from stomach cancer at 72…1985] Karen Ann Quinlan dies at 31 after a lengthy coma. Her case prompts a right-to-die court decision after her life-support system is removed…2003] Pioneering broadcast journalist David Brinkley dies at 82 from complications of a fall…

1982] The winner and still champ: Heavyweight champ Larry Holmes defends his title successfully with a 13-round TKO of Long Island’s Gerry Cooney…

1987] Maggie keeps on tickin’: Margaret Thatcherbecomes the first British Prime Minister in 160 years to win a third consecutive term of office…

1990] Half a dozen in the books: Nolan Ryan pitches his sixth no-hitter in a win over Oakland. Ryan will pitch one more before retiring after the 1993 season…

2002] Wedding Bells: Paul McCartney and Heather Mills are married. They will separate in May 2006 and the divorce becomes final in May, 2008…Music Memories:

2004] Stately: The nation bids farewell to former President Ronald Reagan at a stately funeral in Washington, D.C. He will be laid to rest hours later in California...For more on June 11th:

1946] Teddy Tape Measure: Ted Williamshits the longest home run ever at Fenway. The ball lands 502 feet away in the bleachers. To this day, there’s a red seat to commemorate the spot in row 37, section 42..

1948] TV debut: Boston gets a new TV station, WBZ-TV (channel 4) which starts broadcasting. WPIX (11) New York is celebrating their 61st anniversary next weekend…

1973] Triple Crown Champ: The greatest horse of our generation and perhaps all-time, Secretariat, wins the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths, the largest victory ever and in the fastest time ever in Stakes history...

1977] “D-I-V-O-R-C-E": George Harrison and Patti Boyd Harrison call it quits. They married in 1966…

1980] En fuego: Richard Pryor suffers near-fatal burns at his home when a mixture of “free-base” cocaine explodes…

1985] Kidnapped: American educator Thomas Sutherland is kidnapped in Lebanon...

1992] A walk on the wild side: Ben Vereen is nearly killed when struck by a car driven by record producer David Foster. This was an accident and Foster is not charged…

1998] So sue me: The Ronettes sue producer Phil Spector on charges that Spector and his label Philles breached the group’s contract by not paying royalties. In 2002, a New York court ordered Spector to pay $3 million but the judgement was overturned on appeal…

2007] Filly champ: Rags to Riches becomes the first filly in over 100 years to win the Belmont Stakes...For more on June 9th:

1982] Ronnie bashes communism: In the first speech by an American president to a joint session of the British Parliament, President Ronald Reagan predicts that Marxism-Leninism will wind up "on the ash heap of history."...

1986] Celtic Pride: The Boston Celtics win their 16th NBA title led by Larry Bird's 29 points, 11 boards and 12 assists against Houston in game 6. This was the last title won by the Celts until last year when they notched no. 17...

Friday, June 5, 2009

1933] Fogging up the windows of the old Chevy: The first drive-in opens in Pennsauken (NJ). The lot covered 10 acres with enough room for 400 rockin' cars (6/6)...

1944] The dawning of D-Day: U.S. troops land in Normandy. The number one song that day was "I'll Get By" by Dick Haymes with the Harry James Orchestra. All major league games are cancelled (6/6). The next time all the games are cancelled is September 11, 2001...

1967] Guilty as charged: Mass murderer Richard Speckis sentenced to death in the electric chair for his murder rampage. The sentence is reduced to a life term. Speck dies of a heart attack in prison in 1991, one day short of his 50th birthday…2002] Kennedy cousin (nephew of Ethel) Michael Skakel is convicted in Norwalk (CT) (6/7) of beating Greenwich neighbor Martha Moxley to death when both were teenagers in 1975. He's still in prison for the crime...

1968] Another Kennedy is cut down: Senator Robert F. Kennedy (D-NY) is shot and mortally wounded after claiming victory in the California Democratic Primary. Gunman Sirhan B. Sirhanis immediately captured (6/5). Kennedy will die from his wounds on June 6…

1981] The birth of AIDS: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 5 men have come down with a rare form of pneumonia. These are the first reported cases of what will become AIDS (6/5)...

1998] Horrific crime: Forty-nine year old black man James Byrd Jr. is dragged to his death from the back of a pickup truck in Jasper (TX) (6/7). In 1999, William King, a white man, is sentenced to death for this horrific murder...

2002] Kidnapped: Fourteen-year old Elizabeth Smart is kidnapped from her parents' home in Salt Lake City (6/5)...

2004] 'Happy Trails': Ronald Wilson Reagan, our 40th president dies in Los Angeles after a long struggle with Alzheimer's. Reagan was 93 (6/5)...2008] Legendary sportscaster Jim McKay, best known as host of "Wide World of Sports", dies of natural causes at 86 (6/7)...

2008] Hillary is outted: Hillary Clinton suspends her presidential campaign and endorses Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate for president (6/7)...

2008] Brown-out: Big Brown becomes the first Triple Crown favorite to place last in The Belmont Stakes. Big Brown previously won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Longshot (38-1) Da'Tara wins wire-to-wire (6/7)...For more on June 5 - 7:

1998] Guilty as charged: Terry Nichols is sentenced by a federal judge to life in prison for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing…

2000] Missing his son: Julius "Dr. J" Ervingreports that his 19-year old son Cory is missing. His body will be found on July 6, 2000…

2003] Not such a good thing: Martha Stewartsteps down as head of her media empire, hours after federal prosecutors charge her with obstruction of justice, conspiracy, securities fraud, lying to investigators and having a dirty cake pan…

2007] Al-Qaida strikes again: Insurgents linked to al-Qaida issue a video claiming the have killed all three U.S. soldiers captured in May. One body is found, two others remaining missing...

2008] You can put it in the books: Illinois Senator Barack Obama wins the Democratic Party presumptive nomination, becoming the first African American to be nominated by a major party...

2008] Winging it: The Detroit Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in the sixth game to win the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals 4 games to 2. Same two teams this year with Detroit up 2 games to 1...For more on June 4th:

1988] Mar-go: Margo Adams files a palimony suit against Wade Boggs after their 4-year relationship sours. The married Boggs and Adams will settle out of court. The affair didn’t interfere will Boggs hitting his normal .310 and he’ll finish at .380 to win his 5th batting title…

2001] Tony x12= The number of Tony Awards won by Mel Brooks for "The Producers."...

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

1886] White House wedding bells: President Grover Cleveland becomes the first president to marry at the White House. His bride is Frances Folsom…

1896] Patent no longer pending: Guglielmo Marconi'sradio is patented…

1897] Keeps on ticking: Responding to rumors of his death, 61-year old Mark Twain is quoted in the New York Journal as saying, “The report of my death was an exaggeration.”…

1928] What is that stuff?: Kraft creates the spam of the cheese world: Velveeta…

1935] Bye-bye Bambino: 40-year old Babe Ruth, batting just .181 is released by the Boston Braves. Ruth retires with a .342 lifetime batting average and 714 home runs. His pitching record is a phenomenal 94-46. He also had a run of 29.2 scoreless innings in world series play, a record that stood for 43 years…

1941] A disease of his own: Lou Gehrig dies in New York of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which will be renamed “Lou Gehrig Disease“. His death falls on the 16th anniversary of his replacement of Wally Pipp as Yankees first baseman…

1966] Moon shot: Surveyor I, a U.S. space probe lands on the moon and sends photos back to earth. It’s the first soft-landing on the moon…

1997] Guilty as charged: Timothy McVeigh is convicted of murder and conspiracy in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that took 168 lives…

2003] Deregulation: Federal regulators vote to allow companies to buy more television/radio stations and newspaper combinations in the same city…For more on June 2nd:

Monday, June 1, 2009

1813] Making a motto: The Navy gets its motto when mortally wounded Chesapeake commander Capt. James Lawrence says "Don't give up the ship" during a losing battle with a British frigate...

1925] They call it the streak: Lou Gehrig

pinch-hits for Yankees shortstop Pee Wee Wanninger and singles in the first of his record 2,130 consecutive games played... The next day he replaces Wally Pipp, who sits because of a headache and Gehrig’s record will stand until 1995…

1958] Vive le France: Charles de Gaulle becomes premier of France...

1961] Both sides now: New York, California and Illinois radio stations debut FM multiplex stereo. One year later the FCC makes FM standard…

1968] ‘Happy Trails’: Helen Keller, who earned a college degree despite being blind and deaf most of her life, dies in her sleep in Westport (CT) at the age of 87…1991] David Ruffin, lead singer of the Temptations dies from a cocaine overdose in Philadelphia at 50…1997] Betty Shabazz, widow of Malcolm X is critically burned in a fire set by her 12-year old grandson in her Yonkers apartment. Shabazz will die from her burns on June 23 at 61…

1980] This is CNN: Ted Turner starts the Cable News Network (CNN)…

1994] Reg-gie, Reg-gie, Reg-gie: Reggie Millerputs on one of the greatest scoring displays in NBA history when he scores 25 of his 39 points in the 4th quarter to help Indiana beat the Knicks in game 5 of their East Conference Playoffs. The Knicks will come back to win the series in seven games…

2001] Suicide bomber: 21 are killed in a Tel Aviv nightclub when a suicide bomber blows himself up...

2007] Pass on Chinese toothpaste: The FDA warns consumers to avoid using toothpaste made in China because it might contain a poisonous chemical used in antifreeze. Not only that, but right after using the toothpaste, it makes you feel like brushing your teeth again...

2007] Dr. Death walks: Assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian walks out of a Michigan prison, where he'd spent eight years for ending the life of a man suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease...For more on June 1st:

About Me

Mel Phillips Now & Then is more Now. The Then always follows the Now. Prior to starting 'Remembers' in 2005 and 'Now & Then' on April 7, 2008 I enjoyed a multi-media career which included being one of the Bill Drake program directors. I was involved in the programming of such legendary stations as WOR-FM, WXLO-FM, WNBC, WRKO AM & FM and KQV. I was also General Manager of Hooper Radio, played disc jockey in markets such as Tampa, Nashville, Norfolk and Atlantic City and enjoyed marketing success in syndicated radio for several companies including ABC, MJI and United Stations. My background also includes the music business where I promoted such diverse CBS acts as The Clash, Gloria Estefan, Loverboy, Judas Priest, George Michael & Julio Iglesias. In Special Programming at WCBS-FM I wrote and produced numerous specials and interviewed some of the biggest recording stars. In addition to this post I'm a regular contributor to Radio Daily News. My wife Diane and I reside on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and I'm very proud of my children, Robert Phillips, Lynn Phillips Brough and granddaughters Allyson and Amy...